Must-Read: Jason Furman: Is This Time Different?

Must-Read: Super-smart–naturally intelligent, one might say… Jason Furman: Is This Time Different? The Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence: “I see little reason to believe that the economic impact of AI will be very different from previous technological advances… …But unlike many of the optimists, I do not find that similarity fully comforting, as technological advances in recent decades have brought tremendous benefits but have also contributed to increasing inequality and falling labor force participation. However, as I will emphasize this morning, the effects of technological change on the workforce are mediated by a wide set of institutions, and as such, policy choices will have a major impact on actual outcomes. AI does not call for a completely new paradigm for economic policy—for example, as advocated by proponents of replacing…